How To Buy Dehumidifiers For Home !NEW!
There are three types of dehumidifiers on the market: thermo-electric, refrigerant, and desiccant. Thermo-electric units aren't very common. The desiccants dehumidifiers are preferred all year long, while the refrigerant models do not perform well in very low temperatures. When it comes to operating the unit only in summers, the refrigerant types perform much faster and use less energy.
how to buy dehumidifiers for home
Some continuous drainage dehumidifiers either come with an internal pump or drain water using a hose. For homes with floor draining, all you have to do is direct the water from the tank to drain automatically. Units with internal pumps allow you to continuously drain the water to wherever you like, whether it's your sink, outside the home, or anywhere else.
After reading this guide, you will find it easier to choose the right dehumidifier for your home. The technical specifications and features are more important, but you shouldn't overlook the warranty and price.
Peltier dehumidifiers work by pulling in damp air over the front of a cold heat sink. As the air passes over the cold surface, it condenses. The water released from the condensed air then drips down into the water tank and the dry air is released back into the room.
Refrigerant dehumidifiers (also known as compressor dehumidifiers) work in a similar way to your fridge. They use a fan to draw in air and pass it across extremely cold coils. Water condenses on the coils and drips into the water tank.
They differ from the peltier dehumidifiers above as they use a built-in compressor to cool down the coils as opposed to just the electric current from your mains. The compressor allows for coils of a much larger size to be chilled, and this larger surface means a lot more water can be condensed and collected.
Compressor dehumidifiers (also known as refrigerants) are usually designed to remove between 10L and 25L of moisture per day. These are ideal for dehumidifying areas of your home that are approximately room temperature and not too cold. In order for a refrigerant to work efficiently, the temperature in the room must be above the temperature of the coils in the dehumidifier. This means they will not work their best in a cold basement, garage, conservatory or caravan.
Once you have reached a target baseline humidity (eg 50% humidity), you will only need to use it for 2-4 hours per day to maintain that level. You will not necessarily need it at all times of the year. It depends on the conditions of your home. If your humidifier features an adjustable humidistat then as long as you set it to your desired humidity level, it should only turn on if the humidity level rises above your target.
If you are worried about the cost and only need to dry a small space, mini dehumidifiers typically cost between 30-60. These are referred to as peltier or thermo-electric models and will extract anything from 200ml to 1 litre per day. They also use very little electricity - making them cheap to run.
Larger dehumidifiers that use either a compressor or desiccant typically cost between 100-250. The more powerful they are, the more they tend to cost (though not always, which is why you need to do your research).
To find the best dehumidifiers for basements, we found and reviewed bestsellers and pinpointed top-rated models. From there, we analyzed the value of each unit and considered criteria like efficiency, value and noise. Buyer ratings were also heavily considered, and we only included products with an average 4-star rating or higher.
South Dakota USA native, but I cut my teeth in New York and San Francisco. I've been reporting on grooming since 2013, and have written for nearly every men's publication on the topic. My second beat is travel, as I spend nearly half the year in transit. Because of that, however, I am always relieved when I can unwind at home in Berlin, where I've been living since early 2018.
As this condensation collects, one droplet of water at a time, it falls into a storage tank attached to the dehumidifier. Cooler, drier air is then released back into your home through the other side of the machine.
A few hours spent on comparison shopping can save you some serious money down the road. Do the research on different brands of dehumidifiers and think about what will work best for your particular needs. Different brands offer different types of models with different features, from size and design, to the capacity and draining method. All the different types are designed with the features necessary to resolve humidity issues in their designated spaces. Familiarizing yourself with the different types and their features will help you make an educated purchase.
The most important tip of all has to do with the placement and installation of your dehumidifier. Once you bring the unit home, you need to choose exactly where it will go. This choice can make a huge difference in comfort and efficiency. Some quick hints on placement can help you make the best choices:
By shopping carefully for a dehumidifier and installing it with care, you can get the best results for your living space. Modern dehumidifying technology can make your home or office a comfortable place all year round.
Jessica (she/her) is a freelance writer with several decades of experience writing lifestyle content and evaluating home and parenting products. A mom of two teens and two cats, her previous work can be seen in American Baby and Parents.
Dehumidifiers are effective units that come with many benefits for your space, and most importantly, yourself. They eliminate potentially dangerous variables that can affect your home, family and even your beloved pets.
Before making any kind of purchase, research should be done to find a dehumidifier that works best for you. Here are several things that you should keep in mind when you are shopping around for a new dehumidifier for your home.
Moist, damp air is the ideal environment for mold to flourish (50-65% humidity), and a dehumidifier can remove the surplus moisture while preventing new mold from growing. If you or anybody in your home suffers from frequent asthma attacks or if you see mold growing in various places, then you should strongly consider getting a dehumidifier for your home.
When moisture is present in your space, temperatures may feel warmer than they actually are. By removing moisture from the air, you will feel more comfortable without having to crank up your air conditioner. In fact, you could probably raise the temperature on your thermostat and make your home more energy-efficient, as a result. This is especially true throughout the warmest times of the year.
Whether you have an extremely moist basement or a humid living room, there is a dehumidifier designed specifically for that space. In fact, many popular home dehumidifiers can be used within all of these spaces in your home, to help ensure a dry environment.
For lightly damp or small rooms, such as bathrooms or laundry rooms, a dehumidifier with a capacity of 25-40 pints is recommended for that size space.Mid-Sized Rooms:For mid-sized rooms, such as bedrooms, or rooms with excessive levels of moisture, a dehumidifier with a 40-59 pint capacity is recommended.
Large Rooms:For larger rooms, including living rooms or other open living-spaces, a dehumidifier with a 60+ pint-capacity is recommended.
Basements, Garages & Crawlspaces:If your garage, basement or crawlspace needs to be treated as well, a 60+ pint sized unit is generally recommended. However, there are specially-designed units designated for these areas. We would recommend using one of those, if possible, especially if the device will be used in that area for prolonged use.
The above room sizes typically cover the standard home, however, if you require an even larger unit, then you may want to look into getting a commercial and industrial-grade dehumidifiers. Units rated with a capacity of 70 pints or less are ideal for residential use, while larger-sized dehumidifiers are perfect for commercial and industrial settings, such as warehouses, factories and server rooms.
While many dehumidifiers require the internal reservoir to be taken out in order to change or clean the filter, units with this feature have a convenient compartment on top which provides immediate access to the filter. This cuts down on time spent trying to open the device and prevents an unneeded mess from occurring. And trust me, removing and emptying an internal reservoir will lead to an unwanted mess at some point.
ENERGY STAR certified models are available for both portable and whole home dehumidifiers. Portable room dehumidifiers are typically used to dehumidify a single room or space and can be easily moved where they are needed. Whole-home dehumidifiers are typically installed to use your home's air ducts to dehumidify one or more rooms and are often permanent.
Certified models are available from all major retailers and brand names including Black+Decker, Danby, Frigidaire, GE, Hisense, and Honeywell. In addition to energy performance, there are many other important operating and convenience features to consider when shopping for dehumidifiers.
Some dehumidifiers come with a fitting that allows you to hook a hose directly to the bucket, which can then be directed into a floor drain or sump pump, so there is no need to empty it. Most whole-home dehumidifiers are only equipped with a drain, which should be routed to a floor drain or condensate pump during installation by an HVAC professional.
Frost can form on the condensing coils if the air temperature drops below 65 degrees, and may negatively affect the performance of the product by causing the compressor to cycle on and off repeatedly without removing moisture from the air. If this happens, the unit should be switched off and allowed to defrost before it is turned back on. Some dehumidifiers come with an anti-frost sensor, which will automatically turn the unit off if the air temperature drops below a certain point. 041b061a72